MKW’s “Making My Own Luck” Towards a 1,000 Pound Total Log

[ulsak]

LOL at that picture.

so did I, but I must admit it makes sense. steak is a necessity..

[MKW]

November 10, 2012: Madcows Day 3, Week 1

Box Squats:

115 x 5
140 x 5
170 x 5
200 x 5
235 x 3
170 x 8

Bench Press:

110 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
190 x 5
225 x 3
165 x 8

Rows:

105 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
180 x 5
215 x 3
155 x 8

Dips:

BW x 10
70 x 10 (Possible rep PR, I'm not sure)
70 x 8
70 x 7

BB Curls and Tricep Extensions

Notes:

- Good workout. Everything was fairly easy, maybe bench was the toughest. Dips were surprisingly easy. I'm down a pound or two in the last week because of my stomach issue from last weekend + lack of appetite, but I haven't felt any issues in the gym yet.

[Filmbuff81]

Nice strong workout.

And some serious dippage going on there. That'll turn your shoulders into even bigger boulders that's for sure.

[ulsak]

Nice strong workout.

And some serious dippage going on there. That'll turn your shoulders into even bigger boulders that's for sure.

Yeah, I like the workout layout and the dips were huge! Mind your shoulders though, it's easy to get injuries..

[MKW]

Nice strong workout.

And some serious dippage going on there. That'll turn your shoulders into even bigger boulders that's for sure.

Thanks man. My shoulders have always been a strong point from an aesthetic standpoint, but I need to bring my entire body up, haha.

Yeah, I like the workout layout and the dips were huge! Mind your shoulders though, it's easy to get injuries..

No doubt. Injury prevention is key. Marathon not a sprint.

[MKW]

No doubt. Injury prevention is key. Marathon not a sprint.

I just want to follow up on this before I head into the gym. My knee cap was barking at me (patella?) on Saturday throughout my sets, and it's still not quite right. I've been squatting 3x a week for over a month and might have overdone it a bit. Rather than push through the pain, I'm going to take tonight and Thursday off from squats (tonight was to be my medium x 5, Thursday my light x 5), and hopefully hit them again on Saturday. If it still isn't ready, I'll wait until next Tuesday without thinking twice about it.

I'm still going to go in and hit the rest of 5x5 tonight. I've had this happen before and a week or two of rest does the trick. I'd rather get rid of it now rather than let it develop into something that lingers. I also think now is the time to take a week+ since I'm in the deload phase of the program.

[Filmbuff81]

If your knee is bothering you as much as it is, maybe cut out the light squat or maybe you should just hop on 5/3/1 early.

I know you are intrigued by sheiko, but if you are prone to injuries or overuse issues I think something like 5/3/1 would be more up your alley vs Sheiko.

Obviously wait a few weeks to see how everything goes after you give yourself some rest. But just a thought.

[MKW]

If your knee is bothering you as much as it is, maybe cut out the light squat or maybe you should just hop on 5/3/1 early.

I know you are intrigued by sheiko, but if you are prone to injuries or overuse issues I think something like 5/3/1 would be more up your alley vs Sheiko.

Obviously wait a few weeks to see how everything goes after you give yourself some rest. But just a thought.

Oh I didn't mean to imply that my knee was bad. It's extremely minor. I only felt it for the first time on Saturday, and didn't even remember it was an issue until about 5:00 PM today. My biggest issue is I try and hop back in 110% after an injury (in this case the hamstring issues) and I develop slight tendonitis. This should be good to go in 4-7 days if I had to guess. I already see improvements just off of ice and tylenol today (I honestly forgot it was "hurt" so hadn't iced since post-workout Saturday). I'm with you though, I'm going to drop the light squats this week and perhaps permanently. I had this exact thing happen after one of my previous hamstring pulls in the spring and it took about a week to be 100%, so we'll see.

I definitely agree that 5/3/1 is more up my alley for a number of reasons, but I'm going to stick with this for the time being before making the transition. Thanks for the post man. Workout coming soon.

[Anthony21]

Strong workout my 5x5 brother. Nice work.

[MKW]

If your knee is bothering you as much as it is, maybe cut out the light squat or maybe you should just hop on 5/3/1 early.

I know you are intrigued by sheiko, but if you are prone to injuries or overuse issues I think something like 5/3/1 would be more up your alley vs Sheiko.

Obviously wait a few weeks to see how everything goes after you give yourself some rest. But just a thought.

I want to thank you again for this post because it prompted a LOT of critical thinking on my end last night and this afternoon. I was rolling into NYC for a job interview earlier today and it helped take my mind off of the stress, haha.

Like I said last night, I don't think I'm prone to overuse injuries as much as I'm prone to jumping back in at max effort too quickly, causing tendonitis. When I'm in a normal groove I never develop any tendonitis (for example, I was completely fine with smolov jr for bench). That said, you made a great point and it got me thinking: what is my goal here? All I ever do is preach consistency, patience, staying healthy, and small gains leading to big changes. Jumping on 5x5 right after my injury conflicts with "staying healthy" and "small gains" because it was done with an eye towards getting my gains back ASAP. I allowed myself to jump back in with frequency too quickly as a result. 5/3/1 seems like a great idea based on 1) legs 1-2x per week depending on my split design and 2) the scheduled deloads. Injuries are my concern, because I have put on great strength in the past when I had a sustained period of health. 5/3/1 is the decision once I'm healed up, so in the next week or two.

Not to mention the fact that I was HYPED to start 5/3/1 before my hamstring injury in August. I bought the e-book, I read a million logs, etc. Also, for you new guys in here I am NOT program or diet hopper. I just want to find what is optimal and then I will stick with it, and I think FilmBuff made a great point given my personal circumstances.

[Filmbuff81]

I remember back in august when you were HYPED on 5/3/1 it's the only reason I brought it up again now, since I think the last thing you need is to be battling a series of injuries that put you out longer or at the very least cause you nagging problems as you progress.

What is the job interview for?

edit: once you're healthy you can push some heavier singles into the mix as well.

[ulsak]

What ever you choose I wish good luck, but of course I'd like to see on the Wendler train...

[MKW]

I remember back in august when you were HYPED on 5/3/1 it's the only reason I brought it up again now, since I think the last thing you need is to be battling a series of injuries that put you out longer or at the very least cause you nagging problems as you progress.

What is the job interview for?

edit: once you're healthy you can push some heavier singles into the mix as well.

I think you're 100% right. The only thing I will edit is the deadlift progression (for the same reason I was editing it with 5x5). I know linear progression for DLs should be pretty easy right now since I've had a decent enough DL in the past at a lighter weight. I think there is a lot of muscle memory that I can tap into on that lift. Then again, I might only pursue linear progression until say 295 x 5, 305 x 5, somewhere along those lines, and then just start a cycle with DLs done properly on 5/3/1. Maybe the second cycle, we'll see.

The job interview was for an analyst position at an investment firm in Manhattan. It's a competitive position so it's a long shot at best, but the job search is a numbers game at this point. I have a strong resume but the industry is cutting jobs, not adding them, and the looming fiscal cliff isn't helping matters. Just need to keep plugging away!

What ever you choose I wish good luck, but of course I'd like to see on the Wendler train...

Haha, that will more than likely be the next step!

[MKW]

Tuesday, November 13, 2012: Madcows Week 2, Day 1

As mentioned, I couldn't squat due to some knee tendonitis. I started with 10 minutes of hard cardio on the recumbent bike just to stimulate my legs a bit.

Box Squats:
- did not do (PR in common sense)

Bench:

Worked up to 225 x 5 (probably had 7-8 if it was an AMRAP set)

Rows:

Worked up to 215 x 5

Miscellaneous abs and lower back extensions.

Notes:

- I'm going to go in tomorrow and hit military press, deadlifts (assuming my knee can take the reads and I don't see why it couldn't, given the nature of the injury), and then maybe some high volume shoulders. It's still up in the air.

[Filmbuff81]

Goodlooking workout and smart man to PR on common sense

Become my manager and find me some directing gigs in NYC and then you can have 15% haha.

[ulsak]

Common sense is the hardest discipline for some of us training addicts.. nice workout and good luck with the job interview.

[MKW]

Goodlooking workout and smart man to PR on common sense

Become my manager and find me some directing gigs in NYC and then you can have 15% haha.

Hahaha I'm having a hard enough time finding myself a job.

I've got a buddy who is really into film as well. It's tough out there but he's plugging away and doing a great job.

Common sense is the hardest discipline for some of us training addicts.. nice workout and good luck with the job interview.

Thanks man!

[MKW]

Thursday, November 15, 2012

I hit up back/bi/abs tonight. I was going to do military press but decided to hold off in case I start 5/3/1 on Saturday. Undecided, but it's happening in the near future.

Deads:

- 225 x 5
- 255 x 5 (just following my +10 progression)

HS High Row:

- 275 x 5
- 295 x 5
- 315 x 4 DS 225 x 8 DS 135 x 8

Cable Row:

- 3 sets

WG Lat PD:

- 3 sets

Close Grip Lat PD:

- 3 sets

BB Curls:

- 95 x 3, x 3 (slow negatives, ouch)
- 65 x 5 (slow negatives)

Hammer Curls:

- 35s x 5 (way more spent than I had anticipated)
- 30s x 6, x 6

Then some abs.

Notes:

- The DLs were easy but my hamstring still scares the hell out of me. It's the only lift where I am nervous. I just need to be smart.

- I'm starting up 5/3/1 soon. I have to go to a wedding in two weeks so my schedule will get messed up, but I think I'm going to start it now anyway and just adjust for a week when the time comes.

- No knee pain today. I might squat Sunday depending on the tendonitis.

[Filmbuff81]

Solid workout.

I understand your hesitation.

I pulled a quad muscle last year doing lunges and I could do very thing but lunge.

Took me a while to get back into doin them here and there because I'd be so tentative.

Once I tried some junmping lunges and other dynamic moves I finally got some confidence back.

So it'll just take you time to get over the mental aspect.

[ulsak]

nice workout, MKW. I pays off to reflect sometimes. 225 lbs ain't a joke for normal people...so take it easy,man.

[Anthony21]

Good sh!t MKW and props on lifting with your brain and not ego.

[MKW]

Solid workout.

I understand your hesitation.

I pulled a quad muscle last year doing lunges and I could do very thing but lunge.

Took me a while to get back into doin them here and there because I'd be so tentative.

Once I tried some junmping lunges and other dynamic moves I finally got some confidence back.

So it'll just take you time to get over the mental aspect.

You know, this is a great idea. My two favorite lower body accessory exercises are split squats and box jumps. The box jumps in particular are obviously a dynamic exercise, but both of these have been out of my split for weeks (months in the case of jumps). I think dynamic work could definitely give me some confidence back in my leg. I'm going to get on that.

nice workout, MKW. I pays off to reflect sometimes. 225 lbs ain't a joke for normal people...so take it easy,man.

I hear you. Perspective is important but it's difficult when I was stronger as a 21 year old! Na, you're 100% right. There is no sense in dwelling on the past. Just need to move forward! Small steps, big success.

Good sh!t MKW and props on lifting with your brain and not ego.

Thanks man!

[MKW]

I'm working on my 5/3/1 split right now. I'll post up a rough copy (and plan) for critique when I get it done. Military press day today!

[Anthony21]

I'm working on my 5/3/1 split right now. I'll post up a rough copy (and plan) for critique when I get it done. Military press day today!

What happened to 5x5?

[MKW]

What happened to 5x5?

I decided the other day that 5/3/1 makes more sense given my current situation. I squatted 3x/week for a month to get my legs back under me, and developed a bit of patella tendonitis as a result. FilmBuff made the very reasonable point that my body might be prone to overuse injuries coming back from injury, and it spawned a lot of critical thinking on my end. I love the idea of 5x5, but I need to recondition and stay healthy. I am putting myself at unnecessary risk in terms of tendonitis and other overuse injuries if I run 5x5 right off the bat following my 12 weeks off with my hamstring injury.

I am anything but a program hopper and intend on running 5/3/1 for 6-8 cycles, if not more (including a 4 week mini-cut in there during one of the cycles). However, I want to find what is optimal for me right now given my circumstances and I think 5/3/1 is the answer. Health and slow improvements are the key for me.

[Anthony21]

I decided the other day that 5/3/1 makes more sense given my current situation. I squatted 3x/week for a month to get my legs back under me, and developed a bit of patella tendonitis as a result. FilmBuff made the very reasonable point that my body might be prone to overuse injuries coming back from injury, and it spawned a lot of critical thinking on my end. I love the idea of 5x5, but I need to recondition and stay healthy. I am putting myself at unnecessary risk in terms of tendonitis and other overuse injuries if I run 5x5 right off the bat following my 12 weeks off with my hamstring injury.

I am anything but a program hopper and intend on running 5/3/1 for 6-8 cycles, if not more (including a 4 week mini-cut in there during one of the cycles). However, I want to find what is optimal for me right now given my circumstances and I think 5/3/1 is the answer. Health and slow improvements are the key for me.

I got'chu bro. Do what's best for your health and longevity.

[ulsak]

I decided the other day that 5/3/1 makes more sense given my current situation. I squatted 3x/week for a month to get my legs back under me, and developed a bit of patella tendonitis as a result. FilmBuff made the very reasonable point that my body might be prone to overuse injuries coming back from injury, and it spawned a lot of critical thinking on my end. I love the idea of 5x5, but I need to recondition and stay healthy. I am putting myself at unnecessary risk in terms of tendonitis and other overuse injuries if I run 5x5 right off the bat following my 12 weeks off with my hamstring injury.

I am anything but a program hopper and intend on running 5/3/1 for 6-8 cycles, if not more (including a 4 week mini-cut in there during one of the cycles). However, I want to find what is optimal for me right now given my circumstances and I think 5/3/1 is the answer. Health and slow improvements are the key for me.

And I welcome you aboard to the wendler train!

[MKW]

I got'chu bro. Do what's best for your health and longevity.

Yup, that's the most important thing. It's not like 5/3/1 eliminates injuries by any means, but I do think it makes more sense for me given my history.

And I welcome you aboard to the wendler train!

Yee! I've already done the first two days. I'm going to post it up tonight or tomorrow depending on when I'm able to write up an intro to my 5/3/1 plan.

[MKW]

New Program: 5/3/1

I know this isn’t news, but I wanted to write up a brief “5/3/1 intro” anyway. I am going to link to this post in my signature rather than start a new log, so there will be some review to those of you who have been following along for a while.

I have been hit with a myriad of injuries over the last couple of years (four hamstring pulls since last February in addition to appendix surgery and sacroiliac joint discomfort). Because of this, my lower body lifts lag my upper body, as well as my old PRs.

I am sold on 5/3/1 for a few reasons. I operate best under structure and with a community feeling. I also love the idea of rep PRs and scheduled deloads. Barring injury/illness, I expect great things while running this program. The temporary plan is to run it for six cycles and then reevaluate. If it’s working and I am enjoying it, then I’ll continue running it. I suspect I will, but let’s start smaller.

For those unfamiliar with the program, it is based off of the core lifts (squats, deadlift, bench, and military press) with a few assistance exercises done each day depending on the chosen accessory program. It is a four-day split. The program uses sub-maximal weights and is built on %'s. My current maxes:

Current Maxes / Training Maxes:

Bench Press: 260 pounds / 234 pounds
Deadlift: Not applicable
BB Military: 170 pounds / 153 pounds
Box Squats: 275 pounds / 247.5 pounds

I have deadlift as “not applicable” because I will continue running my +10 progression over the next three weeks as I build my lift back up from the most recent hamstring injury. However, I intend on plugging my DL into the spreadsheet for the beginning of cycle 2 after 3 or 4 weeks, depending on the scheduled deload. My box squat is also below my career PR but it is further along than my deadlift.

The program comes with a couple of different formats to attach to the 5/3/1 sets. I will start with the periodization bible, which calls for three accessory exercises (5 sets of high reps each) each day.

Current weight is around 187-189. Current macros are 3200 on workout days (360 g carbs, 90 g fat, 240 g protein, roughly) and 3000 on non-workout days (with the deduction coming largely from carbs).

The first two workouts are coming up. I’m pumped to stay healthy, make small gains that add up, and make some progress. Let’s go!

[Anthony21]

Best of luck on your new journey bro. Stay strong.